


Wardrobe

by chartreuseblueandyellow



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24331510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chartreuseblueandyellow/pseuds/chartreuseblueandyellow
Summary: He looked back over at Riley to see how she was processing the news (at least that’s what he told himself).He froze.He couldn’t get his brain to form any rational thoughts.After he had chucked his leather jacket onto the couch last night, he had expected that he would put it on again before leaving for work today.What he hadn’t expected was seeing a scantily clothed Riley wearing his said jacket.
Relationships: Riley Davis & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 84
Kudos: 228





	1. Jacket

**Author's Note:**

> There was a prompt on tumblr about Riley in Mac’s leather jacket and my fic writing brain exploded with possibilities!  
> (I absolutely suck at titles so please excuse my absolute trash one).  
> I really enjoyed writing this and I’m keen to hear what you guys think! Enjoy :)

Everyone was exhausted. They had been called in early in the morning after intel that the official 100 dollar bill stamping plate was about to be stolen from the US treasury vault. It had been rushing around to follow one lead to the other and the capture had required Mac to destroy his, Riley’s, and Desi’s phones.  
They had come back to the Phoenix and after interrogation had found that the man had a partner. During their debriefing Matty could see that they were all worn out (seriously, the day had begun at 7am and it was now close to midnight) and so reassured by the fact that it would take some time to come up with a new plan for the partner to steal the plates, she let them all go get some sleep before coming back the next day to search for him. 

Knowing it would be too much effort to go to her own place when they had to be back in the Phoenix early in the morning, Desi opted to crash the night at his and Riley’s place.  
Upon arrival they dumped their gear on the floor and he chucked his jacket onto the couch as he made his way to his room, ready to get a good night's sleep.  
Mac usually only needed 5-6 hours of sleep but even then, after early mornings and late nights for the past few days, he couldn’t help but be glad that their phone’s were currently out of business and that he didn't have a landline. He deserved some undisturbed sleep.

Mac jerked awake at the sound of his front door being thrown open and beside him Desi did the same. They scrambled out of bed but their search for weapons was stopped when Matty’s angry voice yelled out,  
“Hey Blondie, if you’re going to keep destroying everyone’s mobile phones, you should at least get a landline.”  
As Matty saw him and Desi rush into the room she started telling them about how she received credible intel that the partner had come up with a plan and was going to go through with it today.

Before Mac could ask about it however, a sleepy (but adorable) Riley walked into the room wearing her pj’s of a tank top and pretty short shorts (he told himself it was simply an observation, he wasn’t looking at her legs). He shook his head, clearing those thoughts which seemed to come to him more and more these days, and made an effort to focus back on what Matty was saying.  
A few moments later he looked back over at Riley to see how she was processing the news (at least that’s what he told himself).  
He froze.  
He couldn’t get his brain to form any rational thoughts.  
After he had chucked his leather jacket onto the couch last night, he had expected that he would put it on again before leaving for work today.  
What he _hadn’t_ expected was seeing a scantily clothed Riley wearing his said jacket.

He wanted to pay attention to the very important things Matty was saying but there was no way he could force his mind to focus on that and, quite honestly, he didn’t really want to.  
His jacket was pretty big on her and as it hung on her frame it dwarfed her. She looked absolutely adorable (and what the fuck? Why was he turned on by the sight?).

The cold morning air made her shiver and Mac couldn’t help but watch as she pulled his jacket tighter around herself. Something about seeing her snuggled tight into his jacket sparked a strong feeling of protectiveness in him and he was slightly taken aback by the intensity of it.  
On the other hand, because it was so big and her pj’s were so small, it looked like she was wearing just his jacket and nothing else and _fuck_ he had to quickly drag his imagination away from going down _that_ rabbit hole. She looked completely comfortable tucked up tight in his jacket as she intently listened to Matty, clearly having absolutely no clue the effect it was having on him. Hell, he was surprised by just how strong the effect was.  
He didn’t want to keep staring at her but he could not get his mind and body to listen.

“Blondie!”  
He snapped his eyes back to Matty who looked at him with an annoyed glare and... maybe a hint of a smile? Surely she didn’t know where his focus was (at least he hoped not).  
“You ok?”

He blanked for a moment, “uh… yeah,” and mentally slamming his head against a wall for not being able to come up with anything better, added after a pause, “yeah, I think I just need a bit more time to wake up.”

She gave him a slightly doubtful look (yeah he was the first to admit that was a bullshit excuse, especially when everyone knew he was a morning person) but thankfully she didn’t ask and continued talking.  
He couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Riley who was looking at him with slight concern (she knew he tended to be energetic in the mornings), and asked him if he was okay with her eyes. He shook his head and quickly looked back at Matty, not trusting himself to not check her out even when she was watching him.

Hoping that his response hadn’t been too obvious he glanced at Desi and was slightly taken aback by the intense, inquiring look she was giving him. He was convinced she knew exactly where his thoughts had been but he blinked and that expression was gone, instead she raised her eyebrow at him before turning back to Matty. He realised he should probably do the same and tried to focus on what she was saying.

Mac really had to make an effort to stop himself from looking at Riley, even just a glance, because he knew that he wouldn’t be able to look away again and he really _really_ needed to concentrate on the information and not how great Riley’s legs looked and how great she looked in just his jacket and -  
Focus!

He managed to listen to Matty talk about the plan of attack while stopping himself thinking of Riley (ok, only somewhat successful) but nodded along with the plan. She stopped and after a pause where she looked at them and they looked at her she yelled.  
“Well what are you all waiting for? Go get dressed and ready to leave!”  
After a chorus of ‘yes Matty’ from the three of them they rushed off but Mac couldn’t help himself as he gave a quick glance towards Riley who walked to her room, still wearing his jacket. He forced his eyes away and followed Desi to his room, slightly annoyed at himself that he had turned into that stereotypical guy who could not stop staring at a girl.

They walked into the room and Desi broke the silence.  
“Hey, you sure you’re okay Mac? You seemed a bit out of it back there.”

He turned to get his clothes, aware he was taking the cowards route by hiding his face from her.  
“No, yeah, I’m good. I think I just need a bit more sleep.”

He turned to go into the bathroom to get changed but didn’t miss the ‘uh-huh’ look on her face.  
He splashed ice-cold water onto his face, trying to get himself ready for what he knew would be a busy day.  
He held in a groan at realising he would have to ask Riley and Desi on the ride to go over what Matty had said because the thoughts that had taken over his mind had only let him hear a few bits of what had been said. He wasn’t looking forward to the looks he would get from the both of them at that.

As hard as he tried, he didn’t think that he could get the image of Riley wearing practically nothing but his jacket out of his head.  
He splashed more water onto his face.  
This was going to be a long day.


	2. Flannel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guards had climbed into a vehicle of their own and had started chasing them down.  
> So why couldn’t Mac focus on that?  
> Oh right, because he was pressed up against Riley whose shirt, because of the soda, was sticking tight against her body, showing every curve. Her body radiated heat and as Bozer turned a sharp bend and Riley was thrown onto him, he could feel all her warmth against his own body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last one got me on a roll and seeing a tumblr post of Riley and Mac wearing the same shirt (in different seasons) I just had to write another chapter. As always, love hearing back from you guys so lemme know what you think. Enjoy :)

They were after a group who imported and exported drugs, their major clients were one of the most notorious gangs in LA. They had gotten the location for the main safehouse and the intel had informed them that they had an hour’s window where there would only be five guards rather than the normal 20.  
Seizing the opportunity, they left immediately and using tin foil, a couple loose tires, and matches, Mac had taken out the three men who were guarding the outside. Desi had quickly taken down the remaining two inside and after that his, Desi’s and Bozer’s task was to find the shipments while Riley’s was to find out where the orders were being sent to. 

The three of them walked ahead while Riley opened the door to the office but as they heard a man’s yell of surprise they instantly turned to see some orange soda be sloshed onto Riley and the same voice radioing for reinforcements.  
An angry guard ran out of the office but Mac breathed a sigh of relief as Desi interrupted the guards goal of beating up Riley. Letting Desi deal with him, Riley quickly stepped into the office so that their mission wouldn't be a complete disaster but with some urgency in her voice she called out to them,  
“Um guys, there are around 10 more guards and they’re all headed our way.”

Mac instantly spoke up.  
“Ok Boze go start the van -” he ran off, “Riley whatever you’ve got will have to be enough, let’s get going.”  
She stayed for a few more moments and as she took out the USB he ushered her out of the room and, the guard finally unconscious, Desi followed them to the van. 

Bozer had the engine running, and as he, Riley and Desi piled into the back seat the van sped out before they could properly shut the doors, the bullets firing at them providing a great motivator to move fast.  
The guards had climbed into a vehicle of their own and had started chasing them down.  
So why couldn’t Mac focus on that?

Oh right, because he was pressed up against Riley whose shirt, because of the soda, was sticking tight against her body, showing every curve. Her body radiated heat and as Bozer turned a sharp bend and Riley was thrown onto him, he could feel all her warmth against his own body.  
He mentally hit himself on the head a few times. They were in a potentially life and death situation for fuck sakes and this was where his thoughts were?! He shook his head a few times and concentrated again as Riley found an optimal route and Bozer drove crazily, shaking off their tail.

They walked into the war room and were met by an annoyed Matty. Mac opened his mouth to defend them but she sighed and rolled her eyes.  
"I know, I know. It's not your fault that there were more men than expected and so you had to make a run for it but you can get why I'm annoyed."  
They nodded, sharing her frustrations and she continued.  
"Ok, Riley I need you to get on tracking them right away and Mac -"

"I'm sorry Matty I can't right now."  
All eyes turned to Riley and she quickly continued talking.  
"That idiot threw his soda on me and now my shirt is all gross and sticking to my body -" really? He hadn't noticed, "- and I really need to get changed out of it."

Matty, in a slightly annoyed tone said,  
“Ok fine, go get a spare change.”  
They all kept some spare clothes in a room at the office for times like these.

She made a face.  
“I used my spare after the motor oil incident and haven’t replaced my clothes.”

Matty threw her hands up in the air.  
“The bad guys are getting further away by the second and you not tracking them right now will make it harder for us to catch up with them,”  
Riley stayed still, unsure if she was allowed to go find something else to wear, and Matty sighed.  
“Just go and change into whatever shirt you find,” and as Riley started walking out of the room Matty called out to her, “and make it quick!”

Mac, Bozer and Desi stood with their backs to the door, facing Matty as she explained a plan on how to get back on track. After a minute the door opened. Mac presumed it was Riley so didn’t bother checking, though as he thought he saw a hint of a smile on Matty’s face, he turned around. And oh. That’s why.  
It was fucking happening again. 

Riley had changed out of her spoiled shirt… and into his. It was one of his more favourite shirts, a flannel red plaid, and it made an even greater impact that she had chosen that one. It was large on her but she had rolled the sleeves up and left the top few buttons undone. Once again she looked perfectly at home in his clothing and once again he couldn’t help the rush of protectiveness he felt at the sight. There was something about Riley choosing to wear his clothes that made it almost seem like she was proudly showing off that he was hers and Mac silently admitted to himself it was not a feeling he minded (infact, he really liked it).

Mac tried everything not to show just how much Riley was impacting him yet again, though judging by the look he caught on Desi’s face as he turned back to Matty, he didn’t do too well.  
Apparently his reaction had been obvious to everyone because Riley (thankfully) incorrectly read his expression gave him an apologetic glance.  
“Sorry, it’s the first shirt I saw.”

Before he could reply something stupid like she was free to wear his clothes anytime, Matty cut through his thoughts and spoke to Riley.  
“Yeah I’m sure blondie doesn’t mind -” oh he definitely didn’t “- start tracking them.”  
And as Riley pulled her laptop towards herself, Mac tried to focus on the plan but couldn’t help his thoughts as he realised just how good she looked in his shirt and how much he loved seeing her in his clothes.


	3. Shirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was no reply but after a few beats pause, Mac saw Jacques’ eyes slightly widen before he heard Riley’s steps. He turned to look at her but was instantly frozen.  
> She was wearing the blue dress shirt he had been wearing a few moments ago and... apparently only his shirt. Her legs were on full view and the top few buttons were undone.  
> She should’ve given him some warning because she looked so fucking hot that Mac did not know what to do with himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know this isn't realistic for the show and in terms of plot but hey, that's what fanfic is for right? I really enjoyed writing the last two chapters so I had to write another one, and this turned out way longer than I first expected. I love the feedback I’ve gotten on the last two (thanks so much guys!) and I can’t wait to hear what you think of this one! Enjoy :)

They were currently after a notorious arms dealer ring and had found the leader, Jacques. Unfortunately, because he had been in the business for so long, he knew how to hide all ties between him and the group. Many law enforcement agencies knew he was the leader but had nothing to prove it.   
They knew where he lived and luckily for them, the apartment next door was on sale (luck had nothing to do with it, Matty could be very persuasive when need be).   
When Matty had told them the plan that he and Riley would be going undercover as a newly married couple, he couldn’t help the jump in his chest, but he controlled it as he returned Riley’s smile.   
Matty had said the reason it was them two was because he had more undercover experience than Bozer and because Riley’s computer skills were needed. Mac had a suspicion that there was another reason: that Matty somehow knew (because  _of course_ she did) that he and Desi had broken up two weeks ago. 

It had been pretty neutral. Mac had felt that their feelings had gone and that they were just dragging the relationship along, and though he had tried to bring it up a few times, had never managed to get it out. Desi apparently had felt the same because it was she who had eventually brought it up.   
She had said that they had started out great but after some time it just wasn’t. He had agreed with her when she added that they had both stuck together regardless, clinging to a sense of familiarity through all the shit that was going on in their lives.   
Mac was thankful that it had gone well but after a pause Desi had slowly added, “I think I’m just not the right person for you, though I don’t think we have to look too far to find who is.”  
He had a feeling he knew what she was referring to but his mind couldn’t quite grasp it. She hadn’t elaborated further and had walked off. 

Him, Riley, Bozer and Desi were currently sitting in the bedroom of the apartment going over the camera and microphone feeds from the room next door.  
Jacques had left his apartment for his daily run and taking the opportunity, Mac, Riley and Desi had broken in to plant the cameras and microphones. His runs lasted for 40 minutes minimum so they were taking their time, choosing strategic places to hide them. 

Bozer, who had been sitting in their apartment, sounded frantic as he had spoken over the comms.  
“Uh guys, I’m looking at the hallway camera and Jacques apparently cut his run short because he’s about to enter his apartment!”  
They had all frozen and Mac looked at Riley then Desi in panic as they had heard the sound of keys in the door.  
They had quickly collected the equipment they had left to install and scrambled to the window. Desi climbed out, followed by Riley and then him as they had hurriedly climbed over from his balcony to theirs. In the rush Mac hadn’t been able to close the window, otherwise Jacques would've seen him, but hoped that he wouldn’t realise.

Looking through the feeds, they watched as Jacques picked his phone from the table, apparently that being what he had come back for, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.  
The moment was cut short however as they watched him slowly glance towards the open window. Bozer voiced all their thoughts.  
“Uh, that ain’t good.”

They got even more concerned when his gaze swept from the window to the wall which neighboured their apartment. Worry clear in her voice, Riley spoke up.  
“Our balcony is one of two next to his open window. He’s going to come over to make sure it wasn't us.”  
Her guess was unfortunately confirmed as they saw Jacques heading towards his front door.

“Quickly! We need a cover story, what’s something believable that the two of you could’ve been doing instead?”

Mac racked his brains at Bozer’s question but saw that Riley seemed like she had an idea but was slightly hesitant about it.  
“Riles what is it?”

She looked like she wasn’t going to say anything but the knock on the door forced it out of her.  
“Well, we could pretend we were… in the middle of something…”  
His mind froze, surely she didn’t mean what he thought she did?  
“Like I feel like he’d feel pretty uncomfortable to interrupt.”

Oh. She did mean it. Mac couldn’t lie to himself. It was going to be hard to act out, not because he couldn’t imagine it, but because he could.  
Bozer’s laughter took him out of his thoughts.  
“Yeah that’s a good idea, even a tough arms dealer wouldn’t want to get in between his neighbours getting it on!”  
His feelings about it aside, Mac had to admit it was a good plan, even though Riley looked slightly embarrassed for coming up with it. He hesitantly glanced at Desi but couldn’t really discern what the look on her face meant. 

There was a slightly louder knock on the door and Desi rolled her eyes and gestured towards his torso.   
“Take off your shirt and go answer the door.”  
Slightly uncomfortable with everyone’s eyes on him, he awkwardly took off his shirt making an effort not to look at Desi or Riley.

Clearly finding way too much amusement in his uncomfortable situation, Bozer added, “and make sure to ruffle your hair to really sell it!”

Mac gave him the finger and Bozer’s laughter followed him out the room. He messed up his hair as another, much more forceful knock sounded.  
“Yeah hold up I'm coming!”  
He took a breath, trying to make himself calmer than he was, and swung open the door.  
“What is it? I’m kinda in the middle of something.”

For a split second Jacques seemed slightly taken aback by his disheveled look but quickly regained himself.  
“And what are you in the middle of exactly?”

Mac pretended to look offended at the line of questioning.  
“Why should I tell you?”

That seemed to make him even angrier, clearly expecting an immediate response.  
“Someone broke into my house. I always close my windows but they were wide open.”

“Oh no! Is anything taken?” then acting as if it had just hit him why Jacques was asking him questions, Mac let suspicion creep into his tone, “wait, why are you asking what I was doing?”  
Jacques just gave him a hard glare, expecting an answer. Mac feigned outrage.  
“Of course we didn’t do it! Why would we?”

“I know nothing about you guys so don’t mind if I don’t immediately believe you.”  
At Mac’s silence, he continued.   
“If you didn’t just break into my house, why are you so hesitant to tell me what you were doing?”

Mac paused and channeling Riley’s earlier hesitancy when she had come up with the idea, slowly said,   
“Well... the Mrs and I were… occupied in the bedroom.”  
Mac's disheveled look and the delay in answering the door suddenly seemed to make sense to Jacques and Mac had to hide a smile as the man was stunned into silence, not quite sure how to continue his line of questioning. Mac had to hand it to Riley for coming up with the idea.

There was an awkward pause and Mac spoke up again, trying to make him more uncomfortable so that he’d leave.  
“Can I get back to it now?” and with a wink added, “she gets angry if I leave her waiting for too long.”

Mac hid his triumphant grin as Jacques seemed way more uncomfortable than before but faltered as Jacques seemed to steel himself and said, “I want to see her.”

Mac feigned outrage.  
“What the hell for?”

Slightly alarmed by his outburst Jacques took a step back but continued.  
“I need to make sure you’re telling the truth.”

“Yeah sorry neighbour, I don’t really think she’s fit for company right now.”  
He looked slightly alarmed at that but with determination in his voice said, “if you don’t ask her to come here, I’m coming in.”

Knowing there was no getting him to back down, Mac replied with annoyance in his voice.  
“Well if that’s what it’ll take to get you to finally leave then sure,” and turning, he called out in a much softer voice.  
“Riles, honey, can you please come here for a sec?”

Her voice came back from their room.  
“Um, I’m not exactly dressed for company.”

_Fuck_. Mac had to quickly stop his mind from imagining what she would (or wouldn’t) be wearing if this situation had been real. He shook his head, clearing those thoughts and called back.  
“Yeah I know honey,” and in a tone which made it sound completely ludicrous added, “our neighbour is here to make sure we didn’t break into his apartment.”  
Jacques scowled at him, not appreciating Mac’s tone.

She called back.  
“Can’t you handle it?”

Jacques’ scowl deepened at her reply and Mac called back.  
“He wants to see both of us unfortunately, it’s the only way he’s going to let us be.”  
There was no reply but after a few beats pause, Mac saw Jacques’ eyes slightly widen before he heard Riley’s steps. He turned to look at her but was instantly frozen.

She was wearing the blue dress shirt he had been wearing a few moments ago and... apparently only his shirt. Her legs were on full view and the top few buttons were undone.   
She should’ve given him some warning because she looked _so fucking hot_ that Mac did not know what to do with himself. 

Just her in the shirt was more than enough to completely derail any thoughts he may have had but she had clearly also messed up her hair to really sell the act and, even though he knew they hadn’t, even he was convinced for a moment that something not so innocent had been interrupted.  
And _that_ led to him imagining all that he’d love to do with Riley and _woah!_ those thoughts were _way_ too dangerous to be in his mind while he was on mission. There was a ruthless arms dealer in front of him for fuck sakes and his mind was meant to be concentrating to make sure their cover wasn’t blown, because if it was, they would all be dead. But all he could think about was Riley, in his shirt, and what he’d love to do with her if they were alone.

Riley gave him an almost indiscernible look, asking why he wasn’t keeping the act up and saying anything to Jacques but, even though he knew he should, he just could not stop staring at her.  
She strolled up to them and stood next to him and he instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him. There was no way he could’ve stopped himself from doing that but it probably wasn’t the greatest idea.  
His shirt hadn’t been very thick and with him being bare-chested, he could feel Riley’s body heat seeping out against his skin.   
It was almost intoxicating.   
Sure he had hugged her before but they had never been this close with this little clothing between them before.   
Keeping their cover, she smirked at him as he pulled her against himself and that was it.   
He was a fucking goner.  
He could tell she was about to say something and he was glad she was taking the lead because there was no way he could get out any rational thoughts right now.

She turned to Jacques and, expression going from seductive to annoyed, asked,   
“What’s this nonsense about us breaking into some place?”

Jacques finally snapped out of his trance (Mac was yet to do the same) and spoke up, his voice suddenly sounding slightly apologetic.  
“Someone broke into my place and I’m just making sure it wasn’t you guys.”

Mac thought Riley did a great job of sounding frustrated as she replied.   
“Well it wasn’t. We had way more...exciting...things planned, and if you would finally leave, we could continue with said plans.”  
Mac had to choke back a laugh at her response, amazed that he was both in awe of and most definitely turned on by the fierceness in her voice towards this ruthless arms dealer. 

Finally looking at Jacques, Mac added, “yeah, I’d much rather be spending time with my wife working on those plans instead of arguing with you.”

Jacques gave Riley an appreciative look.  
“Yeah, I can understand why.”  
In that instant, an unexpected flare of protectiveness and rage filled him and Mac couldn’t help the look he gave Jacques. He was ready to use all his fight training on him but Riley must’ve felt him tense against her and wrapped an arm around his waist, the action causing him to relax slightly.

He looked at her and with her expression alone she warned him not to blow their cover. She turned to Jacques and in an unimpressed tone said, “that’s great. So if you’ll finally let us get back to it, we’d appreciate not being interrupted again,”

The act must’ve convinced Jacques (hell, even Mac was slightly convinced and he was in on it) and he smiled at the two of them.  
“Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it,” and with a smirk added, “have fun you guys.”

Riley laughed, “we sure will.”  
Mac closed the door in his face.  
They stayed like that, tight against each other, until Jacques’ footsteps faded away.  
They turned to face each other, Mac instinctively wrapping his other arm around her waist and drawing her close and smiled when Riley automatically did the same.  
They looked at each other and it was only now, that it was just them, that Mac realised his face was only inches away from Riley’s.   
She gave him a small, almost shy smile and his heart melted.

Neither of them moved away and Mac, in a voice huskier than he would've liked, whispered,  
“That was something huh?”  
She gave a huff of laughter but before she could reply Desi and Bozer walked out of the bedroom and they automatically sprang apart.  
He immediately missed her pressed against him.  
He didn’t miss the look Desi gave them, walking out the room just before they broke apart. 

Mac cleared his throat.  
“Well, Jacques bought the act, our cover is safe.”

Desi spoke up, “I’m sure the two of you were very convincing in order to get him to believe you.”

He and Riley didn’t look at each other but in slightly awkward a tone she said, “yeah I think it was okay.”  
Bozer just laughed. 

They all walked back to the bedroom to check the feeds to see what Jacques was going to do next. Riley grabbed her clothes which had been hastily thrown onto the bed and into the bathroom. A few moments later she walked out and handed him back his shirt, refusing to meet his eyes.  
He mumbled a thanks and slipped it back on but was immediately distracted by how warm it was from being on her body.   
He had felt her heat through a layer of clothes and through sharing his shirt, but Mac couldn’t help the thought that jumped straight to the front of his mind: what would it be like feeling the warmth of her bare skin against his?  
That was a dangerous thought indeed.  
Now that he had thought about it, he couldn’t unthink it and the urge he felt to know what it was actually like consumed him and he couldn’t think of anything else.

“Mac!”

He snapped his head to Desi, who looked like she knew exactly what he was thinking about, and Bozer who had a smirk on his face. Riley was avoiding eye contact.   
“What?” 

“Matty just texted if we were free so she could call and check in and we said we were.”  
He nodded and the phone rang.

“Hey Matty! How's it going?”

Not having time for the joy in Bozer’s voice, she skipped straight to the point.  
“Did you get the bugs into his place okay?”

Desi spoke up.  
“We got them in okay but we had to get out in a rush. He didn’t see us in his apartment but we were still paid a visit by the man himself.”

Alarm in her voice she demanded, “are you guys okay? Is your cover blown?”

Mac and Riley awkwardly glanced at each other and Bozer gave a hearty laugh.  
“We’re okay and let’s just say Mac and Riley were pretty convincing about keeping their cover.”  
Mac heard the confusion in Matty’s silence at Bozer’s weird reply and he prayed that she wouldn’t ask what he meant. 

Thankfully, after a pause, she only said,  
“Ok, well as long as you’re sure that your cover isn’t blown.”

Mac nodded. “We’re sure.”  
Matty acknowledged his reply and talked about the next steps. 

The call with Matty ended and hungry, they all migrated from the bedroom to the kitchen. Mac definitely wasn’t the greatest cook but Riley was only just better than him. She could make an edible grilled cheese if burnt (or as she called, well-toasted) spots didn’t bother you. During their grocery run therefore, they had gotten snacks and some microwaveable food and Riley and Bozer chucked one of the reheatable pizzas into the oven. 

And in a rush it suddenly hit Mac that he wanted this. He wanted to go on grocery runs with Riley and come back home to argue about who made dinner.  
He wanted to have mundane moments like arguing about which frozen pizza to buy and smouldering moments like having her naked in just his shirt.   
And as the woman of his thoughts threw her head back and laughed at something Bozer was saying, it all clicked into place.   
He knew who Desi had been talking about. Everyone called him a genius but he had never felt dumber. What she had said about not looking too far, clearly Desi had meant Riley.  
  
While in action, him and Desi had been great together but couldn’t stand each other in the calmer, laid back moments. Him and Riley on the other hand, not only made an unstoppable team in the field, but during their down time were able to relax and genuinely enjoy spending time with each other, no matter what they were doing.   
He loved spending time with Riley, he had an ease with her that he didn’t have with anyone else, and he was always happy to simply lay next to her and soak in her presence.

And sudden realisation slamming into his chest, Mac realised he was in love with Riley.

He felt mesmerized by the intensity of his feelings. He had known there had been something there but only when he fully allowed himself to reflect on them did he realise just how strong they were.   
Quiet laughter drew him out of his realisation and he looked confused at Desi who was laughing at whatever expression he had been making.   
Softly, she said, “you finally realised huh?”

Mac gave a sheepish huff of laughter, embarrassed not only that she had caught him, but the realisation that she must’ve known about his feelings long before he did.   
“That obvious?”   
She gave a huff of laughter and in it Mac sensed disbelief at his obliviousness and hurt that he had still been with her even though he no longer cared for her that way.  
He gave her an apologetic smile.  
“Yeah, that was a pretty shitty thing for me to do huh?”

Sensing that he genuinely meant it she nodded, “yeah it was, and as your ex i’ll advise you that if you no longer have feelings for your partner you should probably break up with them but -” she glanced at Riley then back to him and smiled, “- I feel like your next relationship will last for a while.”  
Mac gave Desi a genuine smile, glad he was forgiven and glad she was okay with him and Riley being together.  
Now all he had to do was talk to Riley about it.

The thought made Mac nervously wipe his palms along his pants. Coming up with ways to get them out of life threatening situations on the fly he could do. Confessing his love for one of his best friends and potentially ruining that relationship forever if she didn’t return the feelings? Now _that_ was nerve racking.   
Desi, guessing what was going on in his head said, “you should tell her, I have a feeling you’re going to like her answer.”

He stared at her.  
“You think?”

She nodded and gave a small smile.  
“Yeah I really do.”  
And with that, she looked at the camera feed, stood up and walked over to Riley and Bozer. 

Grabbing a slice of pizza she announced, “well Jacques has left, this time with his phone and keys, so me and Bozer should probably get out before he returns.”  
Bozer agreed, took a slice, and said his farewells to Mac and Riley. Desi did the same but her look to him was filled with meaning. 

They talked about when they would next check in and as the two of them walked out, Bozer, echoed what Jacques had said as he left (Mac suddenly realised they must’ve heard everything over comms).  
“Well I’ll leave you lovebirds to it, have fun you guys!”  
And chuckling to himself, he and Desi left. 

At the sudden silence, Mac looked over at Riley. Pizza in hand and laughter on her expression, Mac had never seen anyone more beautiful, inside and out. She saw him looking and smiled.   
Going near her to get some pizza (and because now that he'd felt it, he couldn’t get enough of her body against his) he returned her smile.  
Things were definitely going to be interesting.


	4. Shirt (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley shrugged off her overshirt and handed it to him.  
> He had to laugh. How the tables had turned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t going to write more but, back by popular demand, here’s chapter 4! Don’t pay too much attention to the mission and the technical details (they’re not the most accurate), though let’s be honest, that’s not why we’re here.  
> This was really fun to write and I’d love to know what you guys think. Enjoy :)

It had been three days since the Jacques at their door/Riley in his shirt incident and they had been studiously watching his every move. His and Riley's discussion about what to make for breakfast had been interrupted by Matty urgently calling and telling them that she was getting intel that Jacques and his men were planning an attack. Mac and Riley were able to confirm that something was up as, for the past three days, the man had been out a lot and coming in late in the night. They had broken into his place again (thankfully this time it went smoothly) and Riley hacked into his laptop and found a blueprint for the US armoury.

When they had told Matty, she instantly knew what the plan was. One of the top military officials had been killed in the line of duty and in the afternoon was the funeral. There was expected to be a large turn out and as a result, there would be fewer guards at the armoury. US weapons were in great demand on the black market and Matty supposed that Jacques and his men planned to steal them to sell themselves.  
Mac, Riley, Desi and Bozer stealthily made their way to a building Jacques has spent most of his time in during the last few days.

They scoped the place for a while and found the weak point. There was a hidden side door with only one guard and a single keypad to gain access. Desi went first and quickly but quietly took out the guard while Riley hacked the keypad.  
Bozer's job was to watch their backs and Mac's was to disarm all the security cameras in their path with the laser he had quickly made.  
It was going smoothly until his contraption stopped working (it _was_ made from a phone and the magnifying glass on his swiss army knife). They were immediately seen, roughed up a bit and while they were held at gunpoint, one of the guards radioed someone.

Jacques' voice came over the radio saying that they were on a time crunch and to lock up the intruders in the vault, promising to deal with them later.  
The guard walked them in a line to the vault and while, _obviously_ , Mac wasn't happy about being captured, he was glad Jacques hadn't come see to the intrusion personally. If he had seen his neighbours breaking into his secure facility, he would instantly shoot them down on the spot or worse, tourture them.  
They were unceremoniously shoved into the steel vault in the basement and the door was shut loudly behind them.

The vault had clearly been made to hold not only valuable objects, but people as well. There was a tamper proof lock which would spray corrosive acid if interfered with.  
Mac couldn't help the guilt that filled him. Everyone had done their jobs perfectly but it was him that had got everyone caught in this situation. If he couldn't think of a way to get them out, the cops guarding the armoury would be slaughtered, thousands of US weapons would be flooded onto the black market, and he, Riley, Bozer and Desi would most definitely be killed.

And to top it all off, even though figuring out how to get themselves out of this life and death situation should be taking up all the space in his mind, a significant part was taken up (as it had been for the past few days) on how he'd tell Riley just how he felt about her. He couldn't get himself to bring it up, fear he could lose any relationship he had with her. It also didn't help that Riley was wearing a large shirt as a jacket, with a tank top underneath and, while the shirt wasn't his, he had one very similar so it looked like it could've been.

He moved his thoughts from Riley to their current situation and all he could think of was what had been drilled into him in the army: emotions are more dangerous than the bomb at your feet.  
This was no bomb but the same logic applied. Thinking about his guilt and all that would go wrong wouldn't help him think of a solution, _Mac knew that_ , yet he couldn't get himself to focus.  
Riley, knowing him well, sensed what was going on in his head and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. The warmth from her touch soaked into his skin and, unlike past times where it turned him on, in this situation it provided steadfast support.  
She gave his arm a light squeeze.  
"You've got this Mac."

He instantly went back to the bomb he had to disarm set by the ghost and when Charlie had been in the elevator. Riley hadn't been able to lower his stress and anxiety, Mac doubted that anyone would've been able to, but she had been able to steady his thoughts then, and she was doing the same now.  
Feeling self-doubt, he couldn't help the question that tumbled out.  
"I got us into this mess. How do you always have so much faith in me Riles?"

She gave him a warm smile.  
"You might've gotten us in this situation but seriously -" she raised an eyebrow "- when has any mission ever gone off without something going wrong?"  
He acknowledged her with a slight smile and she continued.  
"And of course I have faith in you Mac. We've been in so many situations where I've genuinely thought we're going to die but you always manage to come up with some strange but ingenious plan to get us out."  
She lightly squeezed his arm again.  
"l've said it before and I'll say it again. You never cease to amaze me Mac."

Before he could thank her for her constant belief in him, Desi asked,  
"Anyone have any ideas?"  
Mac racked his brain, trying to make some appear.  
The steel walls were too thick and strong to get through and even if they did, because the vault was built into the ground, the three sides were reinforced with meters of dirt.  
That meant that the only way of getting out was through the vault entrance.  
But how did they get past the lock?

They were all silent in thought when a hesitant voice spoke up.  
"I might have an idea..."  
Everyone's eyes turned to Riley.  
"I'm not sure if it'll work and it could be dangerous -"

Desi scoffed.  
"Sounds like Mac's normal plans."

The rest of them made a face, agreeing with her and Riley continued.  
"So, it's just not possible to get through the walls so we have to get out from the vault entrance."  
Mac smiled, glad that Riley had picked up on it too.  
"This type of lock has a keypad underneath. They took my laptop but didn't find my phone so I should be able to get through with that."

"That sounds good, but what about the hydrofluoric acid that will possibly burn off our skin if we try to open the box?"  
Riley nodded at Desi.

"Here's the dangerous part. Apparently this vault also doubles as an emergency bunker because there's bottles of water and non-perishable food. Strangely, but possibly good for us, they also have tools and bags of cement. We could mix the water into cement to create the cement paste and then, because it's a base, put it all over the acid pack on the lock. It's the fast drying kind so it should create a shield but even if some acid gets out, the cement probably won't neutralise it but it'll lessen the impact. We can then use the tools to force the box open and I can hack the keypad."

Her voice had grown stronger as she talked, becoming more confident in the plan. When she finished, everyone's eyes turned to him, Riley's more intently. She had come up with the plan but she knew it was something that he would've normally come up with, so she was seeing what he thought of it.  
Mac was amazed by Riley. While he had been having a pity-party for himself, she had, while comforting him, been surveying the room and had come up with a plan. It wasn't the strongest plan but internally Mac scoffed. When was he ever 100% sure about his improvisations?  
Using his method of thinking and his techniques she had come up with a plan on the fly and honestly, Mac was pretty sure it would work. He was in awe of her.  
His brain had no filter and, apparently before he could stop himself, the words tumbled out of his mouth.

"I love you."

Complete silence filled the vault and, for a moment, the situation they were in was forgotten in everyone's minds.  
Riley just stared at him, mouth slightly agape.  
The confidence which had forced those words out was apparently gone because he didn't know what to say next.  
Two sets of voices snickering broke the silence and, clearing her throat, Riley said,  
"So I take that to mean you think it'll work?"

He hadn't meant to say it out loud but now that he had, even though they were in a life and death situation, he couldn't keep a small smile off his face.  
"Yeah it'll definitely work."  
And after a pause said,  
"I'm going to find something we can mix it together with, Riles go get a bucket."  
She nodded, though shock from his earlier declaration made her movements slow.  
He turned to Desi and Bozer, slightly amused by the confusion on their faces that he hadn't elaborated further on the I love you.  
"Desi go get as many bottles of water as you can and Bozer go get some cement bags."  
Before moving off he abruptly turned back to Riley.  
"But seriously, I love you Riles."

She didn't even try to hide her amazement. The tone of his voice had left no doubt that he had said it romantically, not just as a friend.  
Mac could hear Desi and Bozer start to move but he stayed put.  
A few tendrils of doubt started to creep in as Riley still hadn't reacted and Mac was about to apologise for springing his feelings on her when he saw a slow smile spread over her face.  
Mac couldn't help the flare of happiness he felt warming up his entire body because in that moment, because of her expression, he instinctively knew that she felt the same.

The moment was interrupted by Desi putting down a bucket with a hammer in it between them.  
"I know this is a touching moment for you guys and I'm happy about it, truly, but we need to get a move on right now."  
When neither him nor Riley moved, with a roll of her eyes she added,  
"ASAP."  
She shook her head at them and walked off to get the water.

Riley stepped closer to him, their bodies almost touching, and Mac's heart automatically sped up.  
A groan caused them both to look to the side and Mac smiled as Riley rolled her eyes at Bozer struggling to lift the bag of cement.  
She made a move to go help help him but abruptly stopped, took a step back, turned around and happiness radiating in her voice said,  
"I'm sure you've already guessed, but I love you too Mac."  
And after a quick peck on the cheek, she was off to help Boze.

Mac stood frozen, not even caring that in this very serious situation, he probably had the goofiest smile on his face.  
Desi walked over with bottles of water and though she rolled her eyes at his expression, couldn't help a smile.  
"Told you you'd like her response."  
He grinned at her and she gestured to the bucket.  
"But seriously Mac, let's get out of here and stop the planned robbery before you work out your new relationship okay?"  
He laughed and nodded and then helped Riley and Bozer who had come over with the cement.

They followed Riley's plan exactly and after the cement had hardened over the capsule which contained the acid, Mac and Desi grabbed a tool in each hand and the other two stepped back. They nodded at each other and started hitting the box. It was working pretty well, the box was starting to get loose and the cement was bubbling a bit from coming into contact with the acid from underneath. And then, of course, disaster struck.

There must've been an area where the cement layer wasn't as thick and some of the acid sprayed out and missing his face ( _thank god!_ ) went onto the front of his shirt.  
There were gasps from everyone and Mac moved back while taking off his shirt so it didn't seep onto his skin.  
Keeping their distance from the small acid spray, Desi and Bozer chucked more of the cement mixture onto it while Riley worriedly emptied a cold bottle of water onto his skin.  
The cement had lessened the effect of the acid but since it was so strong and the cement hadn't been a strong enough base, the little that had gotten onto his chest burned.  
The water helped though, and after a while it cooled down to a dull throbbing ache.

The other two had successfully stopped the leak so turned to him to make sure he was ok.  
"Yeah, it just feels like a slightly bad burn but i'll be okay."  
Relieved that he was fine, they went back to trying to get the box off, slightly more careful this time, and Riley made sure that Mac really was okay. His heart warmed as she fused over the burn.  
"Quick thinking with the water Riles."

She rolled her eyes (Mac presumed it was at the goofy smile he had from her being this close) and said,  
"I just confessed my love for you, I can't have you dying on me now can I?"  
He grinned, falling deeper in love with his sarcastic and sassy Riley.  
She grinned back then said,  
"As much as I'd love to have you shirtless -" she winked at him and his heart started beating like crazy, "- I don't think that's very practical."  
Riley shrugged off her overshirt and handed it to him.  
He had to laugh. How the tables had turned.  
She looked fondly at him but raised an eyebrow.

"You know how you've been wearing my jacket and shirts recently?"

"- it's only fair that you finally wear a shirt of mine?"

"Yeah that and -" he chuckled, "- I have to admit I really liked you wearing my clothes."

She grinned widely, leaned forward and in a conspiratorial whisper said,  
"And I really liked wearing them."  
She gave him a wink then whisked off to go hack the now exposed keypad. Mac stayed still, staring after her. He needed a minute to compose himself. Her winking at him had been pretty hot and with a sudden realisation that caused him to smile even more, he realised that he didn't have to try to hide the effect she had on him now.  
Wrapped up in the warmth and her scent that her shirt provided, he realised what Riley must've felt wearing his clothing.  
Usually in a relationship, it was typical that a girl stole clothes from her guy but if stealing her clothing meant that he'd constantly be surrounded by her scent no matter if she was with him at that moment or not, he was definitely going to steal her clothes. At least whatever would fit him anyway.

Bozer moved to stand in front of him and he had genuine happiness on his expression.  
"I love that my two best friends have finally realised they're in love with each other and I know you two will be perfect together," Mac smiled at him which Boze returned but then faking annoyance added, "but seriously Mac, can you daydream about Riley when we're out of here?"  
Mac laughed then shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and they both walked towards Riley and Desi, the former in the middle of hacking the keypad.

It took a few minutes but an airlock releasing sounded and the door slowly opened outwards.  
Bozer gave a whoop and Desi grinned. Riley turned and Mac returned the blazing smile she gave him.  
"This time you're the genius who came up with a strange plan to save us Riles."

Beaming, she replied, "I learnt from the best."

Bozer grinned. "You two are adorable."

Desi smiled but rolled her eyes at the interaction but after glancing at the empty hallway outside, frowned.  
"While it's great for us in the short term that there are no guards outside, it means that they're probably already en route to the armoury. We'd better get a move on.

They made their way to the car which had been parked some distance off and now that they had reception, Riley called Matty to catch her up.  
She instantly dispatched a team to the armoury as they reached the car. They took off but even with Desi's crazy driving, it would take almost 20 minutes to get there.  
While the robbery hadn't been stopped yet, Mac felt pretty happy and relaxed.  
The SWAT team had been sent and Mac knew they would have it under control so his mind went onto what was still echoing in his head: Riley saying 'I love you.'  
He involuntarily grinned again.  
God. Ever since he had let himself really feel his love for Riley, it only grew stronger and Mac loved that feeling. Though he loved working with her in the field, with this new found development he wanted some down time with her alone to figure it all out.

Riley relayed the optimal route to the armoury to Desi and when she finished Mac nudged her with his shoulder and whispered,  
"After all this is done, we should go to Yellowknife, Canada."

She beamed, getting the reference, and whispered back.  
"Well, we _have_ to revisit our honeymoon spot."  
He grinned at her reply and she added,  
"I can't wait to see the aurora borealis."

"And I can't wait to roast marshmallows."  
They laughed and Mac basked in the happiness that being with Riley brought.  
They arrived at the armoury and could hear gunfire from inside.  
As they were leaving the car, and before Mac went into his more serious mindset, he whispered to Riley.  
"But seriously Riles, we should go sometime."  
She winked at him and after grinning in return, they both turned on their game faces and charged into the chaos together.


End file.
